Some notes first, if you please.

This fanfiction is based on Minish Cap. Other games may be slightly incorporated along the way, yet it happens a few years after the events of Minish Cap.

If you have not played this game, but have played Four Swords or Four Swords Adventures, please note that Vaati has a human form in this game. If you have no idea who Vaati is, you may find out more about him by visiting the site link in my profile. Take my word for it, he's gorgeous. :)

That's all, thanks.

The Wind Bride / Prologue

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That music again…

It had all seemed to start three years exactly after the fall of the Wind Sorcerer who had once placed a powerful curse on the castle and all who lived there.

But that was all in the past now.

The princess Zelda turned in her bed and screwed up her eyes as tight as she could. She heard this song many times throughout the years; even more so recently it seemed, as almost every night at 12 O clock, a beautiful, melodic tune rang throughout the castle. She had no idea who its player was, but they had the most masterful skills with the harp.

She had asked many times to many people in the castle who was playing this music, but none of them ever had a reply. It seemed she was the only person who ever heard it. Maids and guards alike had looked at her as if she were mad and although she had told Link about it, there was nothing he could do to help. Perhaps she had never gotten up to investigate because she was afraid of what she might find. Perhaps she would find nothing at all, just an empty music, proving her crazy as some of the palace doctors were beginning to think of her.

That was until that one night…

This night it was different, as well as the tone, a voice rang out along with it. It wasn't loud or overbearing, but controlled and harmonious. The lyrics however, she couldn't make out. Maybe they were in another language. Narrowing her eyes, she attempted to work out who it could be. The voice was most unquestionably male, but there was a soft rhythm to it, a beauty that no mortal male could possibly reproduce.

It was incredible. And it was calling her.

Unable to take it anymore, Zelda rose from her bed, wrapping her night robe around herself to protect her delicate skin from the freezing winds which sometimes blew in the corridors. Especially on a night such as this, where gales howled and sung through the tree branches and the rain pounded at the windows as if trying to join in the music she heard. It all seemed strangely fitting.

Lighting the lantern beside her, she picked it up and left the safety of her bedroom, locking it and pocketing the key, although she didn't know why. There wasn't any point after all. It shone a dim light around the corridor, as the wind kept the flame to a minimal. She attempted to shield it with her hand and looking around quickly to check there was nobody there, she began her journey.

The music sounded louder out here, the great stone corridors seemed to echo the sound waves in all directions, but even through this she could tell where it was coming from. The music room. She knew that harp, she had tuned it herself and played it almost every day. The winds seemed to urge her forwards as she continued towards the music room slowly, down corridors, great staircases, past statues of noble unicorns and brave lions, past door after door, window after window, until she finally came to the doors of the music room. Gazing at it for a while, the princess bit her lip and questioned whether she should really go inside.

The voice continued to sing its amazing song, patient and unceasing. The owner knew she was outside, she was sure of it. Taking a deep breath, she opened one of the doors a little and peeked inside.

Nothing.

The music and singing had stopped. The only thing in the music room now was a slightly open window allowing the breeze to flow in. A deathly silence hung in the air and she whimpered, wondering if she had been dreaming everything. Quietly closing the door again, she retreated back to the safety of her room.

The next few days seemed to pass in a blur, she even lost concentration in her music lessons. The harp she practised on was the very same harp she had heard the ghostly music coming from that night. It was distracting somehow, as if she were playing a cursed instrument.

Most of her time was spent wondering the music room with several books she had taken with her, yet every time she settled to read one she couldn't keep focused. She kept thinking about that beautiful music and the silky voice that accompanied it. It was as though she didn't know what she was doing anymore. Every time somebody asked if she was okay, she would simply nod dreamily, yet her pounding headache reminded her that she in fact not okay at all.

There was no music for six nights. She even went down to the music room at midnight once to see if anybody was there, but there was no one. No melody. No wind. Nothing had been moved or looked unusual. The harp still stood there waiting for somebody to play on it and the room was eerie in its silence.

It was on the seventh night of sleepless tossing and turning that she heard a faint tune echo throughout her bedroom and her eyes opened instantly.

Only moments later and she had peeled the covers back, pulling her robe over herself again and bounding out of the room without even taking the lantern. She stumbled in the darkness and fell, gasping as she landed with an uncomfortable crunch. Picking herself up, she regained her breath before shaking her head and taking off down the hallway again in a swift sprint.

She had to find out who was making that wonderful music; it couldn't possibly get away from her this time. She had to know. She had to.

Reaching the music room, she bit her lip and leaned forward to touch the door. However before her fingers so much as touched the oak, the door clicked and opened itself with a creak, which made her jump back in alarm. Biting her lip, she gazed in through the open door, half expecting the music to stop. It didn't however, for its owner hadn't seemed to have noticed her yet, or if he did he didn't show it. Her eyes strained to work out who the stranger was, but she saw nothing but a silhouette for his face. The curtains were half open, flooding moonlight onto where the harp stood on the marble floor and although most of the musician was sheltered in the shadows, she could clearly see a pair of hands coming from beneath a soft blue tunic, a pair of pale and talented hands, with long fingers and feminine nails that plucked at the harps strings with astonishing capability.

Who could it possibly be?

Zelda took another step into the room and shut the door behind her, being as silent as she could. Placing the lantern on the small table next to her, she dared herself further and further forward, clinging to her robe as she approached. The stranger seemed to have a cool wind blowing around him and although he had stopped singing by now, he still continued to play. Play that masterful tune.

The princess was rooted to the spot, all her instincts screamed at her to run, to get out of there while she still had a chance, but no matter how much she willed herself her body refused to respond. Opening her mouth to ask who he was, she found her voice was nothing but a silent breath. Instead, she only gazed as the stranger turned into the light and allowed his eyes to meet hers, never once letting his fingers trail off from the strings.

He had the most attractive face, one that perhaps even rivalled hers, with fine long silver hair that seemed to shimmer by the light of the moon. His smile was pleasant and his expression welcoming. But his eyes…

He had the most evil eyes she had ever seen. They were a deep scarlet, with a small black pupil and all the hate of the world circulating within them. Even though the rest of him was somewhat lovely, his eyes filled her soul to the brim with terror. Biting her lip again, she looked on in silence.

This man… she knew this man. But he couldn't be unsealed, he couldn't possibly be…

"Who… are you…?" she finally managed to stutter.

The man seemed to ignore her for a little while, still playing on the harp, although it was almost dead in her ears now.

"You know who I am." He replied at long last.

She had no reply.

They were silent again for what seemed like hours, although in reality it was only a few minutes. The wind mage had turned his attention back to the strings of the harp and was slowly but surely changing his melody, until it was something completely different, but still just as sweet to her ears.

She watched him as he played, until eventually her gaze wondered to his face. His skin looked smooth, his features were well defined and his lips seemed somewhat inviting. As she stared, even the evil in his eyes seemed to melt away. Taking another step closer, her hands almost took control of themselves, gripping onto the material of the cloak he wore around his shoulders. They felt up his back, past his shoulders and to the pin that held the cloth to his body. With half closed eyes, she watched it fall to the floor with a gentle clatter, the material falling to his feet.

The wind mage made a quiet sound, but whatever it was, it wasn't one of protest. Still he didn't look at her, concentrating on nothing but his music, no matter what the princess was doing. She stood in silence and stared at the cloak on the floor, half wondering why she had done such a thing. Her head felt fuzzy and she was beginning to find it difficult to concentrate. Quietly kneeling down, she picked up the pin from the floor and gripped it tightly in her hand, gazing at his soft flesh as the sharpened metal felt cool in her grip.

Before she could act on the thought however, she found her eyes were wondering the mages frame again; such a beautiful, delicate frame. It never occurred to her when she was young and innocent just how gorgeous this man was. But now she was older she realised, her hormones practically becoming her puppet master and compelling her to touch him.

Taking another step forward, she became braver and obeyed the orders of her body and another strange feeling that was slowly edging itself over her with every note he played. She rested her face against his back and inhaled the musky aroma of his body. Her fingers trailed through the mage's silky locks, entwining them around themselves as her cheek nuzzled against his shoulder almost lovingly.

Seconds later, she seemed to snap back into her senses and forced herself out of his trance, backing away slowly until she was at a reasonably safe distance in her eyes.

"What are you doing to me…?"

The wind mage smiled softly and gazed at her, his hair gently flowing in a wind that she herself couldn't feel. He allowed his fingers to leave the strings of the harp, leaving his cape where it was and slowly beginning to approach her, yet he did not reply. She felt a cool wind blow around her and backed further away from him, as if trying to block out the others presence.

"How did you come back? What do you want with me…?"

Her voice was so quiet that it was practically a whisper. Vaati slowly licked his velvet soft lips and took a step forward each time she took a step back.

"You've grown up to be an exceptionally beautiful young lady…" He reached forward and Zelda found herself pressed against the freezing wall, shying away from his poison touch as best he could.

"Don't touch me you--!"

She was silenced as the mage lowered himself, allowing his cool lips to brush her own. His arms wrapped around her delicate waist as he licked along her bottom lip to sample her. Her body was frozen in a mixture feeling of terror and seduction and her grip on the cloak broach tightened. As his tongue gently slid itself into her open mouth, her body seemed to find motivation and with a shriek, her hand shot out, delivering a hard, swift slap across his cheek.

He pulled away in surprise, his hand rising to nurse the spot that now ached painfully. The princess was stronger than she looked.

Zelda leaped back and ran half way across the room before turning and glaring at him, half angrily and half in terror. She barely had time to think of what she was doing before hurling the broach at him in a fit of panic. The pin span in the air as it flew towards him and stuck within the exposed flesh on his shoulder.

The mage blinked, his gaze passing across to her and his head tilting. After a few moments, he slowly pulled the pin from his shoulder and allowed it to fall to his feet noiselessly. There was a thin trickle of blood seeping from the wound, but he didn't seem at all bothered about it.

"Did you think I was dead, your majesty? Did you believe I would depart from this world empty handed?"

"Get away from me!" she hissed threateningly as he began to step towards her again. The sorcerer ignored her of course, his eyes glazed over with a look of lust as he scanned her body again, admiring her with a contented expression on his face. As he approached, she went to dive out of his reach, meaning to run out of the door and as far away from this dangerous monster as possible.

Yet as she reached the great oaken doors and tugged desperately at the handle, she found they would not open. Becoming frantic, she clawed at the lock, pleading with it to open and allow her to escape. All that answered her was the faint glow of a single eye insignia that protected the lock with a powerful seal.

Glancing behind her, she noted that the man still approached her, although now mockingly slowly, as if enjoying her futile struggle to escape. Shaking her head and gathering up her magical abilities, she attempted to counter the seal with her own spell of light. The seal flickered, but stood fast. Frenziedly, she tried again and again, as many times as she possibly could before he could reach her.

Yet as there was a gentle click of the door unlocking, she felt her arm gripped and her body pulled violently away from the now open door. His strong arms pulled her to his warm chest and wrapped around her in such a way she couldn't get free.

"That light force of yours has become just as powerful as you have beautiful, princess."

Zelda whimpered and attempted pointlessly to struggle from his grasp, but he only held her tighter and more protectively.

"I'm rather impressed that you could break my seal like that…" he continued, his hands beginning to gracefully trail through her golden locks. "You are a worthy lady, princess, but even you cannot possibly hold a power such as that. Maybe you should give it to somebody who could take much better care of it…"

His voice was eerily gentle and soothing, even as he spoke of her demise.

They stayed like this for a long while, before he finally moved his hand under the princess's chin and coaxed her to look at him, admiring her elegant features once more. Her eyes widened and he smiled, leaning down a little to brush a few strands of hair from her eyes. Staring at him brought her back so many memories, of his curse, what he had done to the castle, of the kidnapping. Everything…

Yet here he was now and she could barely even speak in his presence.

"Three strikes of the bell princess…" he whispered. "Do you remember? Oh, of course you don't…" a smirk crept across his face, "You were nothing but stone."

Attempting to struggle again, Zelda gave a shriek as she heard the palace bell sound. It echoed around the music room and rang in her ears, reminding her over and over that her fate was completely sealed.

The mage crept his hand over her mouth and held it there firmly so that she could not shriek again. "Shhhh…" he said softly, his other arm tightening its grip around her waist. "It's so horrible when you scream. I'm not going to kill you, it would be such a waste. You're too beautiful to waste..."

Zelda could only stare at him in terror as the bell sounded the second time.

"No…" the sorcerer mumbled into her ear. "I shall make you my bride. Surely you are the only lady in this land worthy enough of such an honour."

She whimpered, a tear trickling from the corner of her eye, which the man gently wiped away with his thumb. This time, as she saw him lean down to claim her lips again, there was no mental resistance at all. Her body pressed against his as she just gave up all hope, so as she felt his lips tease her own, she allowed her eyes to close and his tongue to gently enter her mouth. The kiss was cool and compassionate, his tongue wrapping around hers before leading it into a dance which claimed her mouth completely. For such a dark fate, this soothing act almost calmed her.

Pulling away, he guided a single hand up to her hair and gently teased her head back to expose her throat to him. Moving it down again, he took hold of her gown and slid it from her back, leaving her in only a paper thin night dress.

"Say my name princess…" he half sang, his lips trailing across her neck before teasing her collar bone as she sighed unhappily beneath him.

The princess let out a whimper, her fingers gripping the material of his tunic so tight that her skin paled. After a few more seconds of his silent persistence, she finally tilted her head back and mumbled his name quietly.

"Again," he trailed small kisses from her throat to her ear and nibbled the lobe gently. "Say it again, prove to me you know who I am. Prove to me you know exactly who is doing this to you."

Zelda choked back a sob.

"Vaati…"

The final bell sounded, the noise sweeping through the castle like a curse. Her fingers released their iron grip on his cloak as an exhausted feeling swept through her body. Her body seemed to give way under her and she found herself collapsing in his arms. It didn't hurt, but it seemed as though all the energy had just been drained from her in such a short amount of time, leaving her only with a tingling feeling.

"Good girl…" Vaati whispered almost mockingly, "That wasn't too bad was it?"

Zelda opened her mouth to reply, yet as she tried to speak her voice would not respond. Her eyelids felt heavy, the room… the room span around her… All she could hear was the eerie quiet laughter of the wind sorcerer, which echoed within her ears before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

The sorcerer picked her up as gently as he could manage, not wishing to harm any of the delicate beauty which he cradled. Sitting once again next to the harp, he held her on his lap and levitated the Light Force within the palm of his hand, smiling blissfully as it shimmered a golden glow onto his face. Eight long years of death was suddenly worth it all for this one glorious moment.

But then of course he hadn't really died at all.

Placing his fingers back onto the harp strings, he once again began to play, a dark and melodic tune that chilled the very soul.

"This is the melody of your demise."

And as he played, a darkness swept over Hyrule.